Ex-airman gets 6 years for providing child porn

Dec. 4, 2012 - 10:42AM
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Last Updated: Dec. 4, 2012 - 10:42AM |

A former airman has been sentenced to six years in prison for distributing child pornography on the Internet, following an investigation by the Office Special Investigations that led to his arrest in 2011.

Craig Allen James, 24, of Laurel, Md., was sentenced to six years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for distributing child pornography, the Air Force OSI commander, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Jacobsen, said Tuesday in an Air Force news release.

According to James' plea agreement, he was an active duty enlisted member of the Air Force until May 11, 2012, assigned to Fort Meade, Md., where he lived at the time. The release did not provide his rank while he was on active duty.

On May 3, 2011, Maryland State Police were conducting an undercover investigation to identify people possessing and sharing child pornography using file-sharing programs that allow individuals to receive and make available to others files on their computer.

During the investigation, an undercover officer identified James as using such a program and downloaded 23 files, images and videos, all of which depicted children, including prepubescent children, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to the release.

On July 14, 2011, a search was conducted at James' dormitory room on Fort Meade, and on his computers and other digital media. OSI investigators discovered at least two of the files downloaded by the undercover officer on James' personal computer as well as other images of child pornography, the release said. James admitted that he received and shared child pornography via the Internet, officials said.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III ordered that upon his release from prison, James must register as a sex offender in the place where he lives, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Details of James' sentence were jointly announced by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations: and Col. Marcus L. Brown, Maryland State Police superintendent.